The morning sky was painted in soft hues of rose gold and pale blue, with clouds gently drifting like whispers in the wind. The light brushed over the fields of Luminara, casting a calm glow across the horizon. It was beautiful, serene... but it wasn't enough.
I don't think it could calm me today. I really want to do it. To finally take action. This feeling has been bothering me for so long, and I don't think I can keep standing still, pretending like everything is fine. I know exactly what's happening in the realm I lead as queen, and doing nothing makes me feel pathetic.
I am ready for whatever danger I might face, but I just don't know where to begin.
"Lumi… don't do this. You could get hurt," Caelith said.
I kept my eyes on the sky, still deep in thought.
Caelith had been trying to stop me, again and again. Everyone says an Abyssal Fey is dangerous. They are known to be the darkest and most powerful Fey to ever exist. Even though their kind is endangered and only one remains, everyone fears her. They say Nyxaria is the last of them, and she is both powerful and dangerous.
Caelith has reminded me of that so many times, but I just can't keep doing nothing.
"I told you, Caelith… I'm tired of standing still. The children are in danger," I said, my voice barely above a whisper as I stared at the sky. He stood beside me, his worry heavy in the air.
"You don't know Nyxaria. You don't know the Abyssalis realm. It could be really dangerous," he said. His voice sounded serious—too serious. It was as if he had experienced it himself.
My forehead creased. "How do you know?" I asked.
"I j-just heard…" he stuttered, and that was when I realized he was hiding something. I could tell. I could feel it from his aura.
"Do you know how to get to Abyssalis?" I asked directly. When his expression changed, that was all the answer I needed.
"Please, Lumi. Don't do this," he said.
"You knew... Bring me there," I insisted.
"What? No! It's dangerous."
So he really did know. I didn't understand why, or how, but right now the only thing that mattered to me was finding that realm. I needed to go there and bring the lost children back.
"Caelith… you know that no matter how hard you try to stop me, I will still go. There's nothing that can stop me," I said.
His face was full of worry. He looked lost, unsure of what to do. I knew he was only scared of what might happen to me.
He let out a heavy sigh. "Sorry, Lumi. But I can't help you. I don't want you to get hurt."
That was the moment I realized something. No matter how strong our bond is, no matter how much our friendship means to me, my duty as queen has to come first. I have to put Luminara above everything else. I must face this darkness and bring the Lumifey children back.
I took a deep breath. "Caelith…" I said with quiet confidence. "I am your queen. And if I insist that you bring me there, then you have to."
His eyes widened in shock, as if he couldn't believe what I had just said. "Lumi…"
"Queen Lumielle," I corrected him.
His expression changed completely. I could see the hurt in his eyes, as if he felt betrayed.
I didn't want to say it like that. It felt like I was hurting him. He's the only one who makes me feel like I'm just a normal Fey, someone who's allowed to be vulnerable. But I hope he understands.
Even if we are friends, and even if our friendship means everything to both of us, I am still the Queen of Luminara. And I must do what is right. I must do what is necessary.
The next day, I stood at the center of Luminara's heart.
The Garden of Light, usually a quiet place for meditation and rituals, was now filled with murmurs. The pastel sky above was calm, but there was a heaviness in the air. Luminous Fey from every corner of the realm had gathered, their eyes wide with hope and fear.
I stepped forward, my voice steady as it echoed across the gardens. "As your queen, I can no longer stay still. The children are missing, and I will go after them. I will enter the Abyssalis realm and bring them back."
A hush fell over the crowd.
Then, one by one, they began to kneel. Some lowered their heads in reverence. Others wept, not from fear—but from hope. It was the first time in a long while that they had something to hold onto. I didn't expect them to praise me, but their faith in me ignited something fierce inside my chest.
As the sun touched the edge of the horizon, Caelith approached me quietly.
"I'm coming with you," he said, his voice low.
I looked at him. "I thought you didn't want me to go."
"I still don't," he said. "But I know you will… and I won't let you go alone."
I nodded, silently grateful.
That evening, we made our way beyond the glowing forests and the soft lavender fields. We passed the last border where light faded and mist began to rise from the earth. The air grew cooler, and silence followed us like a shadow. Every step closer to the Abyssalis border felt like walking between two worlds.
We reached a clearing hidden beneath a canopy of crystal trees. In the center was a pool of still black water, surrounded by silver stones shaped like wings. At first, it looked like nothing more than a forgotten place. But then the air shimmered.
The pool began to glow with violet and blue swirls. Wisps of shadow danced above it, and a soft hum echoed in the air—like a song sung in a language I couldn't understand. The magic here felt old, older than anything I had ever felt in Luminara. This was the gateway.
"The portal to Abyssalis," Caelith said quietly.
I stepped forward, my heart pounding in my chest. "Let's go."
He reached for my hand but stopped. His face twisted slightly, like something held him back. "I… I can't go with you beyond the portal."
"What?" I turned to him, confused. "But you said—"
"I can't explain. Just trust me. You have to go alone."
Something flickered in his aura. I couldn't read it fully, but for a moment, something bright—unnatural—flashed in his hair. A sudden streak of glowing color, not pastel, but a vibrant gold-red. It faded quickly as he stepped back.
I blinked, but said nothing. My heart was already pulling me forward.
"I'll be waiting for you," Caelith said. "Please… come back."
I gave him one last look before stepping into the light.
The portal pulsed as if it sensed my decision. The moment I touched the surface of the pool, I felt it pulling me in—not just my body, but my magic too. A rush of air swirled around me, and for a heartbeat, I was weightless.
Colors exploded around me—violet, sapphire, deep crimson, and cold silver. Not the soft pastels of home. These were raw, wild, almost alive. I was being pulled through a tunnel of magic, a realm between realms. I couldn't breathe, couldn't think—only fall.
Then it stopped.
My feet landed on something solid, but cold. I opened my eyes.
Darkness. Stillness. The sky was black, scattered with dim stars that barely glowed. The trees were jagged and tall, their shadows stretching far beyond their roots.
I reached for my wings, hoping they were still there. And they were.
But no matter how I tried to move them… to fly… nothing happened.
I couldn't feel them.
It was as if they were frozen, still attached to me, yet completely disconnected. Like they weren't mine anymore.
Panic slowly crept in, wrapping around my chest.
I can't fly.
I can't fly.
And I'm completely alone in the Abyssalis realm.